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Summary

A German research institute developed an optical wireless communication (OWC) link with up to 3 Gbit/s data rate. It utilizes eye-safe infrared light and provides half, as well as full duplex mode. This can be used for docking solutions or to replace cable connections such as USB or Gigabit Ethernet. The institute seeks for partners from the ICT, medical, industrial and the consumer goods sector, e.g. for technical cooperation in order to jointly develop new components, systems and applications.

Full description

Today's devices almost always use RF-based solutions such as WLAN or Bluetooth to communicate wirelessly. Those solutions support up to some hundred Mbit/s data rate. Currently, that is no longer sufficient for many applications and large file transfers.

With this in mind, a German research institute has developed an optical wireless communication (OWC) link with up to 3 Gbit/s data rate. This can be used for docking solutions or to replace cable connections such as USB or Gigabit Ethernet.

Fixed or portable devices in consumer, industrial or medical areas as well as in logistics produce and manage large amounts of data like multi-media, full HD videos or enterprise-based information. Those data are transferred or synchronized with base stations, servers or kiosks by cables mostly. Cable connections such as USB or Gigabit Ethernet provide high data rates up to the gigabit range, but users have to deal with annoying cables and reliability issues regarding high frequency RF-based connectors as well.

Additionally, todays wireless RF-based solutions like WLAN or Bluetooth only support insufficient low gross data rates up to 600 Mbit/s. Resulting net data rates of 20-50% are too slow for many multi-media data links. Additionally this data rate is shared by many users and reduces final speed.

To meet the growing need of simple to use and wireless gigabit-class communication, the research institute revealed an optical wireless multi-gigabit communication module. It supports 512 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s Giga-IR compliant communication and can be tuned up to 3 Gbit/s. It uses eye-safe infrared light and provides half, as well as full duplex mode with double the overall data rate. It is highly energy-efficient and provides high net data rates for safe, secure, yet fast data transfers.

The new optical wireless multi-gigabit communication modules as well as integrated hardware and software IP solutions provide a product development platform. It can be applied, for example, as stand-alone controller, protocol-bridge or in multi-media system-on-chips (SoC). This can be deployed in a wide range of applications in consumer, medical and industrial areas. People can jump on a new experience utilizing docking and beaming scenarios with portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, cameras, notebooks and many more. Users can stream full HD videos more rapidly, synchronize mass data, use kiosk applications, or even do wireless cable replacement for USB, Gigabit Ethernet, board-to-board or backplane communications.

Innovative Aspects

- Optical in place of the usual radio frequency (RF) technologies allow for much higher gross data rates in wireless communication
- Optical wireless communication is very efficient regarding net data and power cunsumption
- Eye-safe infrared light is harmless for health and well-being
- The optical communication provides a flexible platform for multiple development of applications
- Large potential for miniaturization

Partner expertise sought:

- Type of partner sought:
Companies or research institutes.

- Specific area of activity of the partner:
ICT, medical, industrial and consumer goods sectors.

- Task to be performed by the partner sought:
Technical cooperation in order to jointly develop new applications.